-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Hurricane Sandy converges with other storms and threatens to wreak havoc on the mid-Atlantic coast , power outages could make it difficult for residents to get up-to-date information .

But mobile phones can provide crucial updates as long as their batteries hold out . -LRB- If you live in the storm 's path and it 's not too late , this might be a good time to invest in a wireless phone charger . -RRB-

News apps and mobile sites are helpful , but for real-time streaming updates , it 's hard to beat Twitter . With that in mind , here 's a roundup of Twitter accounts offering real-time information about evacuations , mass transit , flooding , power outages and emergency-relief efforts .

6 mobile apps for tracking a hurricane

For weather forecasts

The National Weather Service is tweeting out forecasts and analyses hourly from its National Hurricane Center account .

For more frequent updates , the Weather Channel is tweeting every few minutes on its Hurricane Central account , which posts everything from recorded wind speeds -LRB- `` La Guardia airport in #NYC just reported a gust to 58 mph '' -RRB- to photos of surf pounding the coastline . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -LRB- NOAA -RRB- and the folks at NASA have been tweeting satellite images of the storm 's massive spiral along with flooding forecasts and other information .

CNN 's meteorologists are posting frequent updates to the CNN Weather Center account , which also appears on CNN 's interactive Hurricane Tracker page . One of them , CNN 's Rob Marciano , has been tweeting updates from the storm-lashed beaches of Asbury Park , New Jersey .

For evacuation orders and safety info

The emergency-preparedness experts at FEMA are posting updates about local shelters along with safety reminders -LRB- `` Now that you 've prepared for #Sandy , the next step is to check on your neighbors - make sure they 're ready too . We 're in it together . '' -RRB- The American Red Cross also is posting lists of shelters , blood drives and other info .

All the governors of the affected states are on Twitter with regular updates about evacuation plans , highway closures and emergency hotlines . Among the most active are Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania , Chris Christie of New Jersey -LRB- who , in typically blunt fashion , tweeted `` Do n't Be Stupid , Get Out '' -RRB- , Andrew Cuomo of New York , Jack Markell of Delaware , Dan Malloy of Connecticut and Martin O'Malley of Maryland .

Also , New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg 's office has been tweeting frequently about closures of the city 's parks , tunnels , subways and related services .

For transportation updates

Amtrak is posting regular updates about limited or canceled Northeast Corridor train service . So are local transit services , such as New Jersey Transit -LRB- which suspended all service Monday -RRB- , and Greyhound , the bus line .

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , which operates the New York City area 's three major airports , also has an active and helpful account .

For air travelers , there does not appear to be a Twitter account that aggregates the status of flights across multiple airlines . But all the major airlines are tweeting updates about delayed or canceled flights .

Hurricane safety : When the lights go out

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Many Twitter accounts offer real-time updates about Hurricane Sandy

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Feeds provide info about evacuations , highway closures , shelters and canceled flights

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In the event of a power outage , cell phones could provide crucial news updates